GreenDot - Bedok

The name GreenDot may be unfamiliar to most, but it has actually been running actively since 2011, inside Singapore schools.  GreenDot has previously set up stalls in Temasek Polytechnic, Chung Chung Cheng High School and Tanjong Katong Girls' School.  Bringing vegetarian food to the Singapore school system is essential, as most schools have zero meat-free options in their canteens.  After achieving second place in the Young Entrepreneur Award for their work promoting meat-free food inside schools, they have now decided to graduate to a slightly more picky audience - Adults.


 
GreenDot
Location: #B2-27, 311 New Upper Changi Road, Bedok Mall
Contact: 67024139
Opening Hours: Daily 11.00am-10.00pm


GreenDot have decided to keep the menu very simple.  There are just four dishes available.  A small menu is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that those four dishes must be good.  Although this is technically a vegetarian eatery, customers who consume diets void of dairy products or eggs may feel quite frustrated here.  Problems may occur as there is no signage that indicates dishes that contains egg and dairy - This is something I am getting increasingly tired of.  Can someone explain to me what is so difficult about putting on the menu 'this dish contains egg/cheese/milk' etc?  Moreover, everything on their menu can quite easily be made without egg and dairy, so it begs the question, why use these ingredients and voluntarily alienate yourself from a large proportion of potential customers?  Doesn't make any business sense to me.


The first dish, which is Sesame Rice in a Cup, is currently the only vegan (no egg or dairy) item on their Bedok Mall menu - Even their laksa, which was sold out that evening, contains egg and dairy. This dish is a twist on conventional vegetarian chicken rice.  The components to this dish are mostly all the same - Rice, cucumber, red chilli, tomato, beancurd sheets and another fried chicken style mock meat.  Taste wise there is nothing really wrong with this dish, but I was hoping for a larger portion size.  It is incredibly small, and couldn't possibly fill the stomach of any human being.  The amount of rice was particularly meager.  On the positive side, it was good they used two types of mock chicken and the taste of the rice was decent.

Price: $4.10.    6/10
The most impressive dish we tried at GreenDot was definitely the Black Pepper Burger.  Contrary to what is mentioned on the menu, this burger actually comes in two flavour options - Black pepper and tomato herb.  Overall there is not much to criticise with this burger.  I loved how the burger bun was toasted prior to stacking, and the soy burger patty was crispy and juicy.  The black pepper sauce used was flavourful and combined well with the patty.  Perhaps this burger doesn't have the originality of something from Vegan Burg, but it is still a stellar attempt nonetheless.  *Unfortunately, when contacting GreenDot after my review, I have found out that both egg and dairy are somehow in this burger - Disappointing.

Price: $4.10.     7/10


The final dish I selected was the Mr Saver Meal, which is essentially the typical economic rice and dishes (you can choose which dishes when ordering), but served in a bento box.  The great thing about eating in such close proximity to others (the tables are very cramped), is you can eavesdrop on what they think about the food.  The people eating around me all had the same thoughts as myself.  The biggest problem with this meal is portion size.  For the price, the portion is way too small.  For example, I selected eggplant as one of my dishes, which had a total of only five small pieces (which were also undercooked).  It is ironic this dish has the name 'mr saver', as personally I found it to be the least value dish out of them all.

Price: $5.00.     5/10   *$0.90 for wintermelon drink


Conclusion - GreenDot is still new and finding its feet in the Singapore vegetarian scene, so it is important we have patience and allow them to grow and improve.  It is clear currently where the main problems lie - Pricing and portion size.  Not only that, there is too much unnecessary egg and dairy in their dishes.  The GreenDot staff informed me they are working to eliminate the animal products from their food, so let's hope significant changes can be made in the future.

Overall Rating
Food - 6/10
Ambiance- 5/10
Service - 6/10
Value - 4/10